Leading NFL rookies on offense

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) follows through on a pass in front of New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, right, during the first quarter of an NFL football game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
— AP

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) follows through on a pass in front of New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, right, during the first quarter of an NFL football game Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
/ AP

Doing Google Generation proud, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson directed their teams to the playoffs last year as rookie quarterbacks.

This year's rookie class, as expected, lacks comparable sizzle.

Remember, it's the Blockers R Us class: six blockers greeted, and towered over, Roger Goodell last April out of the first seven offensive players drafted.

You hope the commish didn't say, "Break a leg kid," now that Nos. 2 and 7 picks -- tackle Luke Joeckel (Jaguars) and Jonathan Cooper (Cardinals) -- are done for the year with fractured bones.

Fans don't pay to watch blockers, but people-movers make offense more entertaining, by keeping the quarterback out of the hospital and beefing up the run game.

Among the rookie blockers impressing me are Bears guard Kyle Long and Cowboys center Travis Frederick. Chicago scores 29 points per game, fourth in the NFL, and that owes in part to better blocking for quarterback Jay Cutler. Long, son of Howie, is raw. But the Oregon man (taken 20th) moves fast and hits hard.

Frederick arrived in Dallas with an engineering degree from Wisconsin and a game built on power. He has started all five games and despite an unsurprising Week Two dud at noisy Arrowhead Stadium against Dontari Poe, an emerging star, he's been OK or better overall. The Cowboys lead the NFC in points (29 per), and coach Jason Garrett said the much-improved line is a "huge difference" from 2012.

Who are the playmakers?

DeAndre Hopkins, taken 21st by the Texans, is the rookie leader in receiving yards (293) and is second to the Rams' Tavon Austin in receptions with 22. Hopkins sees and gets the ball. Andre Johnson and a strong running game are helping him.

The first running back drafted, the Bengals' Giovani Bernard, gaining 4.6 per rush, is the class leader in carries (45), rushing yards (209) and touchdowns (3), and leads backs in catches (14). If there's a rookie of the year conversation, he belongs. His lateral quickness spares him some direct hits, while his burst is getting him through holes. Nursing a lead against the Patriots, the Bengals gave him the ball six consecutive plays last Sunday. The first five netted 30 yards. Then, on a run off-tackle, he fumbled when a safety drilled him. The Patriots recovered, and Bernard didn't return.

The Cardinals seem to have found sixth-round gold in Andre Ellington, a 24-year-old gaining 6.7 yards per carry in 18 rushes. Also, he's first among backs with 144 yards receiving. Playcaller Bruce Arians is accentuating Ellington's quickness and sure hands. Lined up against a Panthers cornerback, Ellington won on a 15-yard sideline pass. Draws and jet sweeps suit him.

The Jets are 3-2 with Geno Smith, the second quarterback chosen, as their starter. Smith may not be the best rookie on his team, given the fine start by defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. But no other rookie classmate has dealt with more job stress. Rebounding from a four-turnover performance, he made plays passing and running in the Week Five victory at Atlanta.

Justin Hunter is a 6-foot-4 pass-catcher with a 40-inch vertical leap (Randy Mossish if you squint). The Titans have him run down the sideline and into the end zone, where he turns and jumps. Hunter has only two catches in six targets, but both brought six points at the end of a half: a game-winner against the Chargers (34 yards) and a stunner (16 yards) that buried the Jets entering halftime.